Variable-speed mechanism.



W. H. JOHNSON. VARIABLE SPEED MECHANISM.

APPLICATION mum JAN.14, 1909.-

. Patented Nov. 26,1912

' a variable speed, owertransmitting device in unrrnn snares PATENT onnioa.

WILLIAM H. JOHNSCN, OF ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T ROCK ISLAND PLOW COMPANY, OF ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

VARIABLE-SPEED MECHANISM.

Application filedJ'anuary 14, 1909. Serialflo. 472,547.

To all'whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, WILLIAM.H. JOHN- SON, a citizen of the United States of Americe, and resident of Rock Island, Illinois,

have invented a certain new .and useful Improvement in Variable-Speed Mechanism, of which the 'following is a specification.

. .My invention relates to improvements in variable speed mechanism, and has for its object the production of a device by the use of which any desired pairs of variable gears maybe lockedin operative position without stopping the movement of the machine by whichsaid gears are operated. I -A further object is the production of a which the spee may be varied in 'any predetermined degree by simply shifting a singleplement of the device.

A further object is the production of adevice that may be readily adapted for use in any situation in which aispeed-changing device'is desired.

A further object is the production of a device that can be cheaply constructed, and one that is not liable to disarrangement of parts.

These and such other objects as may heredevice, of which is illustrated in an emb meat the accompanying drawings, in which-'- sents' a sectional view on the line 3-3 of- Figure 1 represents a plan view of my device 1n position, one set of gears being shown in section. Fig. 2 represents a sectional view on line 22 'of'Fiig..1,'looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 3 repr- Fig. 1," looking in'the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig; 4' represents a side elevation of the collar. Fig. 4 representsa side 'elevation of'the countershaft. Figs. 4, 4 and 4 represent each a side elevation ofa bevel gear. Fig. 4 represents a side elevation of the key. Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of -18 ig. 1. Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in the several .fign'res oi the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings-6 represents a driven'shaft, 7 a power-transmission sleeve loosely surrounding the shaft on one end of which is cast or rigidly secured a bevel gear -8. A collar 10 is mounted on the sleeve 7 upon which collar is mounted the bevel gear 12. Intcgrally secured to this bevel gear there is a counter shaft 9. A plurality o f bevel ears or pinions c,al,'e, are loosely ournale on the counter shaft- The counter shaft s provided witha longitudiery of the bevel gears are also provided with a plurality of slots 14. A key or looking member 15, comprising a straight shank 16 and an oifseteorlug-fl at its lower end, is adapted to slide within the slot 13, the offset or log 17 passing within the slots or grooves 14. The counter shaft may be supported on the frame of amachine at 18 and the key support 19 extends parallel with the counter shaft and is provided witlrgsrost or latch 20 through which the upper end or handle2l of the key passes. The handle is preferably notched at 22 bymeans of which the key may be held in any desired position; that is,

ter shaft. On the end ofthe s aft 6 is rigidly mounted a multiple bevel gear wheel '23, shown in this instance with thr e gears,

24, 25' and 26, having varying numbers of teeth, and, set to mesh with gears e, d, c, the gears 8 and 12 also being in mesh. If the stance, formed with eighteen teeth, the gears 24, 25 and 26 may be provided with thirty-six, twenty-four and eighteen teeth, giving one-half, .three quarters or a full revolution. of the shaft 6 to each revolution of the sleeve. v V It will, therefore, duced a variable speed gearing and simple means for locking theparts in operative position. I donot, however, limit its use that my improved gearing and shifting key is capable of use inany machine in which a variable gearing isrequired, and the shifting key makes it, possible tochange the speed -at any time and inany desired'm'annersubject, of-courseQonlyI-to. the limitations imposed by the gearing-without stopping the machine. This is readily, accomplished by the multi licationYof the radialfslots 14 extending ra "ally from the inner periphery of thegears, making it unnecessary to wait for entire revolutions of the gears before shifting the key.

I am awarethat devices of this character are in which a multiplicity of springactuated keys are employed, together with Ineans for depressing these keys and drawing them toward or away from the 'slpts locking any desired bevel gear n the counloose gears on the counter shaft are,.for in-' to any particular machine, as it is evident nal slot or groove 13 and the inner periph- 4 be seen that I have prol gear on said sleeve, a plurality of slotted l variable gearing i gear on said sleeve,

or key-ways in the different pinions, but in my device the simple shifting key f with an upturned end 17 is anew and novel means of accomplishing the same result. 4

ave also shown a simple and efiective i method of locking the key in any desired pol sition on the rest- 20 of the support. Other meansof locking the key in position may be utilized without departing from the spirit'll of my invention.

claim:

1. In a machine, the combination of a I variable gearing comprising a shaft, a multiple gear rigidly mounted thereon, a sleeve I loosely mounted on said shaft, a gear rigidly mounted on the end of said sleeve, a slotted t countershaft carried by said sleeve and extending at an angle thereto, a gear rigid on said counter shaft and meshing with the gears loosely mounted on said counter shaft and meshing with the multiple gear, a key sliding within the slot in said counter shaft and adapted to lock any desired gear rigidly on said counter shaft, and means for locking said. key in any desired position.

2. In a machine, the combination of a comprising a shaft, a mul- 1 gear rigidly mounted thereon, a sleeve t loosely mounted on said shaft, a gear rigidly mounted on the end of said sleeve, a slotted counter shaft carried by said sleeve and ex tending at an angle thereto, a gear rigid on said counter shaft and meshing with the a plurality of slotted on said counter shaft tiple gears loosely mounted and meshing with the multiple gear, a key provided with a notched handle sliding within the slot .in said counter shaft and adapted to lock any desired gear rigidly on ing a latch mounted on the frame and adapted to engage the notches in said handle. I

3. In a machine, the combination of a variable gearing comprising a shaft, a mul-' tiple gear rigidly mounted thereon, a sleeve loosely mounted on said shaft, a gear rigidly mounted on the end of said sleeve, a counter shaft, a collar loosely, mounted on said sleeve and provided with means for engaging said counter shaft, a gear rigid on said counter shaft and meshing with the gear on saidsleeve, a plurality of slotted gears loosely mounted on said counter shaft and meshing with the multiple gear, a key sliding within the slot in said counter shaft and adapted to lock any desired gear rigidly on said, eountershaft, and means for locking said key in any desired position.

4.. In a machine, the combination of a variable gearing comprising a shaft, a multiple bevel gear rigidly mounted thereon, a sleeve loosely mounted on said shaft, a bevel gear rigidly mounted on the end of said sleeve, a counter shaft extending at an angle to said first-n.-entioned shaft, a collar loosely mounted on said sleeve and provided with means for engaging said counter shaft, a bevel gear rigid on said counter shaft and n'ieshing with-the bevel gear on said sleeve, a plurality of slotted bevel gears loosely mounted on said counter shaft and meshing with thle multiple bevel gear, and a key sliding within the slots in said counter shaft and adapted to look any desired gear rigidly on said counter shaft.

Signed by -me at Rock Island 11th day of Dec. 1908.

. 1 WVILLIAM H. JOHNSON. Witnesses:

, 111., this said counter shaft, and means for locking A. B. FRENIER, said key in any desired position, compris- H. DETJENS.

Cortes of this patent may be obtained for five cents eaolnby addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

